Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made positive to let his teammates know that his 2025 Most Helpful Participant award belonged to them as a lot because it did him, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes.. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged over 30 factors per sport for the third 12 months in a row en path to his first profession MVP because the Thunder went 68-14 this season.
“You guys are actually like my brothers, and I actually imply that,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated to his teammates. “And with out you guys, none of this might be potential, and I need you guys to know this award is your award, too.”
Gilgeous-Alexander misplaced final 12 months’s MVP race in a landslide, besting Denver’s Nikola Jokic this time round.
“All of the moments I bought reduce, traded, slighted, neglected, I had nights the place I believed I wasn’t good at basketball, had nights the place I believed I used to be one of the best participant on this planet earlier than I used to be,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated.
We now have extra from the Thunder/Wolves playoff sequence:
- The Thunder are again to their dominant methods after a difficult second-round sequence in opposition to the Nuggets, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Neither of their first two video games in opposition to Minnesota have been notably shut. “Our resolve in that sequence is what bought sharpened,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated. “We had our backs in opposition to the wall and needed to reply a number of occasions.”
- Julius Randle has been one of many main drivers for the Timberwolves‘ Western Convention Finals push, however he had his first robust sport of the postseason in Sport 2 in opposition to the Thunder, scoring simply six factors and making solely two of his 11 subject objective makes an attempt. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, his poor displaying got here on the worst time for Minnesota, who now faces a 0-2 deficit. “We all know what sort of protection they’re,” Randle stated. “They’re going to swarm you. So I’ve bought to get myself into actions, setting screens, on the transfer. I feel I used to be similar to standing and spectating somewhat an excessive amount of right now.”
- Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards refused to talk to the media after Sport 2 following him being fined for vulgarity, per Krawczynski (Twitter hyperlink). Edwards was fined $50K.
